Leaf storage and supplemental apron for center extension tables



March 10, 1953 A. DE GAAL 2,631,075

LEAF STORAGE AND SUPPLEMENTAL APRON FOR CENTER EXTENSION TABLES Filed Nov. 6, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 INVENTOR Abris De ad? ATTORN =3 A. LEAF STORAGE A DE GAAL I March 10, 1953 2,631,075 ND SUPPLEMENTAL APRON FOR CENTER EXTENSION TABLES Filed NOV. 6, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 \j s 74 86 IZENZR .Hbl'is De 96nd BY 7 MWn mr a I ATTORN .N

W/VW T 7% Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,631,075 LEA STORAGE AND SUPPLEMENTAL APRON FOR CENTER EXTENSION TABLES- Abris De Gaal, Manhasset, N, Y. Application November 6, 1950, Serial No. 194,245

4 Cla ms- 1 This invention relates to extensible tables. Its particular application is to dining room tables and the like where attractiveness along with extensibility to accommodate the requirements of varying numbers of people are major considerations. The invention will be described in relation to a single embodiment but other e'mbodiments of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art of constructing tables and furniture and to those familiar with certain prior constructions.

Extensible tables have of course long been known and it has been a common expedient to increase the effective length of a table by inserting one or more leaves at some intermediate portion across the table top. Some of the extensible tables heretofore known and used have been of a type which included a .decorative apron extending downwardly a few inches from the under surface of the table top and running around the perimeter of the table. Such constructions generally have suffered the disadvantage that when extended to receive one or more leaves the facade presented by the apron has been broken at the point where the "leaf insertion was made. Thus, when the table was extended, the apron did not run completely around the under perimeter of the table top but was interrupted on each side by an amount at least equal to the width of the leaf insert whereby efi ct was sacrificed in prcpcr ion o un t gained.

I have devised an extensible table construction which may be .employed with one or more insertable leaves and which is so arranged that an apron facade may be maintained in unbroken condition irrespective of the number of leaves inserted. Thus the overall appearance of the table and its decorative qualities and I design remain unchanged whether one or several leaves be inserted.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements,

methods of operation and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure and sequences and groups of related steps to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be set forth in the accompanying claims.

In this specification and the accompanying;

drawings I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention and suggested various modifications thereof; but it is ;to :be understood that these are not intended to :be exhaustive ;n or limiting of the invention but. ;on

2 the contrary, are given for purposes of illustrae tion in order that'others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table em.- bodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 but showing the table in extended condition with two leaves inserted;

Figure 3 is a view of the table illustrated in Figure 1 but taken from below and lookin upwardly;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of Figure 3 Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 6.-6 of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view .on an enlarged scale taken along the line 11 of Figure 3.

In Figure 1 a table is generally indicated at 20. It is provided with a top consisting of a top portion'22 and a top portion '24. It is also provided with an apron consisting of apron portion 26 and apron portion 28. In the illustrative form the table includes four legs .30, 32, 3,4 and 36. The foregoing parts comprise two separable units one of which includes the portions 22 and 26 and the other of which includes portions 1 24 and 28.

Figure 2 illustrates the table units of Figure 1 in extended condition with a pair of leaves .38 and 40 inserted between top portions 22 and 24 so as to provide an uninterrupted horizontal surface. It will be observed that apron portions 26 and 28 have been separated along with top portions 22 and 12.4 and that the space between them underlying the inserted leaves has been filled in by supplementary apron portions .42 and 44 (see Figure2) and 43 and ,45 (not shown in Figure 2; see Figure 3) so as to provide .an unbroken apron facade.

As illustrated in Figure 3 and as will now :be described the underside of the table is provided with an arrangement of sliding rails which venable the table units to be moved toward and away from each other depending upon the .ex-

tension required. A pair of extension rails dB and 48 are permanently fixed to the underside of top portion 2-4. AcCQlding-ly rails .463and .48

move with top portion 22 when it is moved with respect to top portion 24. At the same time rails 50 and 52 move with top portion 24 when it is moved with respect to top portion 22. The rails are arranged in parallel relation to each other so that linear sliding movement between the sets of rails is possible.

A a part of my invention I have provided below the under surface of the table top a tray 54 (see Figures 3, 4 and 5) which I employ as a support for leaves 38 and 40 when the leaves are not in use. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate tray 54 supporting leaves 38 and 40, the leaves being supported in the tray by a pair of strips of felt 56 and 58.

Tray 54 is carried by a pair of tray rails 60 and 62 (see Figure 5). In the illustrative form each of the extension rails 46, 48, 50 and 52 is shaped in cross section to provide an upwardly facing flange surface 64, 66, 68 and i respectively. Each of the tray rails in the illustrative form is of T-shaped cross section and each cross arm of each T is slidably carried upon one of the upwardly facing flange surfaces, 64, 66, 68 and 10. With this arrangement the table units may be moved toward or away from each other with the interleaved tray rails held slidably suspended between the relatively moving extension rails and the entire tray may be slid to any desired position lengthwise of the table. Accordingly when the table units are separated the leaves 38 and 40 supported by the tray are rendered accessible between top portions 22 and 24 and one or both of the leaves may be withdrawn from storage and positioned transversely across the extension rails and the top portions 22 and 24 may then be closed upon the inserted leaf or leaves.

In order to make it possible to maintain an uninterrupted apron facade I slidably support the supplementary apron portions 42, 43, 44 and 45 beneath the table top. Apron portion 44 (see Figure is supported on a horizontally supported slide I2 movable in slide guides 14 and 16 secured to the underside of tray 54. Similarly, apron portion 43 is carried by a slide 82 slidable between slide guides 16 and 80 and apron portion 45 is carried by a slide 84 slidably carried between slide guides 74 and 76.

Figure 3 shows the normal position of apron portions 42, 43, 44 and 45 when the table units are in their unextended relationship. Each of the apron portions 42, 43, 44 and 45 is of a length equal to the width of one of the leaves 38 and 4H and accordingly when the table units are extended to receive one leaf one pair of opposite apron portions, such as 42 and 43, are pulled toward the adjacent edges of the table into alignment with the permanent apron portions 26 and 28. The extended table units are then closed upon the leaf and supplementary apron portions. 7

The tray 54 being longitudinaly slidable between the extension rails 46, 48, 5D and 52, the supplementary apron portions carried by the tray will adjust themselves so as to underlie directly the inserted leaf. If both leaves are inserted both sets of supplementary apron portions will of course be positioned in alignment with the permanent apron portions.

In order to assist in aligning the supplementary apron portions with the permanent apron portions the slides I2, I8, 82 and 84 are provided with stops 85, 88, 9B and 92 respectively (see Figure 3). The stops 86 and 88 come into contact with a fixed slat 94 extending across slide guides I4, 16

4 and when the supplementary apron portions 42 and 44 have been pulled toward the edge of the table into alignment with the permanent apron portions 26 and 28. correspondingly, the stops 99 and 92 come into contact with fixed slat 96 extending across slide guides l4, l6 and 80 when the supplementary apron portions 43 and 45 are drawn toward the edge of the table into alignment with the permanent apron portions 26 and 28,

From the foregoing it will be observed that a table made in accordance with the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth and to be economically manufactured since both the article and the method of making it are suited to common production methods and are susceptible to a wide latitude of variations as may be desirable in adapting the invention to dififerent applications.

As various embodiments may be made of the above invention and as changes might be'made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An extensible table construction including a horizontally disposed top and a vertically extending apron depending from the under face of said top adjacent its side edges, said top and apron being divided along a substantially vertical plane into two separable units, rails adjacent the under face of said top substantially transverse with respect to said vertical plane of division, apron slides slidably carried adjacent said rails in the region of said vertical plane of division transversely of said rails one adjacent one side of the table and another adjacent the other side of the table, and apron portions one carried by one slide adjacent said one side of the table and another carried by the other slide adjacent said other side of the table; each apron portion normally lying inwardly of and parallel to the apron along the adjacent side edge of the table and each apron portion being movable with its supporting slide into alignment with the apron in the region of said vertical plane of division when said units are separated to fill in space between said units and complete an unbroken apron facade.

2. A table construction including a horizontally disposed top divided along a substantially vertical plane into two separable units, at least two generally parallel pairs of extension rails along the under face of said top extending substantially transversely with respect to said vertical plane of division, the outer rail of each pair :of rails being fixed to one top unit and the inner rail of each pair of rails being fixed to the other top unit, a pair of tray rails disposed one slidably interleaved between and supported by the extension rails on one side of the table and the other slidably interleaved between and supported by the extension rails on the other side of the table, and a tray floor carried substantially horizontally by said tray rails in spaced relationship below the-under surface of said top.

3. An extensible table construction including a horizontally disposed top and a vertically extending apron depending from the under face of said top adjacent its side edges, said top and apron being divided along a substantially vertical plane into two separable units, two generally parallel pairs of extension rails along the under face :of

said top substantially transversely with respect to said vertical plane of division, one pair of rails being adjacent to and inwardly of the apron on one side of the table and the other pair of rails being adjacent to and inwardly of the apron on the other side of the table, the outer rail of each pair of rails being fixed to one top unit and the inner rail of each pair of rails being fixed to the other top unit, a pair of intermediate rails disposed one slidably interleaved between and supported by the extension rails on one side of the table and the other slidably interleaved between and supported by the extension rails on the other side of the table, a pair of apron slides and each slidably carried adjacent the under side of said intermediate rails in the region of said vertical plane of division transversely of said rails one adjacent one side of the table and the other adjacent the other side of the table, and a pair of apron portions one carried by one slide adjacent said one side of the table and the other carried by the other slide adjacent said other side of the table; each apron portion normally lying inwardly of and parallel to the apron along the adjacent side edge of the table and each apron portion being movable with its supporting slide into alignment with the apron in the region of said vertical plane of division when said units are separated to fill in space between said units and complete an unbroken apron facade.

4. An extensible table construction including a horizontally disposed top and a vertically extending apron depending from the under face of said top adjacent its side edges, said top and apron being divided along a substantially vertical plane into two separable units, two generally parallel pairs of extension rails along the under face of said top substantially transversely with respect to said vertical plane of division, one pair of rails being adjacent to and inwardly of the apron on one side of the table and the other pair of rails being adjacent to and inwardly of the apron on the other side of the table, the outer rail of each pair of rails being fixed to one top unit and the inner rail of each pair of rails being fixed to the other top unit, a pair of tray rails disposed one slidably interleaved between and supported by the extension rails on one side of the table and the other slidably interleaved between and supported by the extension rails on the other side of the table, a tray floor carried substantially horizontally by said tray rails in spaced relationship below the under surface of said top and extending transversely through said vertical plane of division to define a storage region for an extra table leaf of a predetermined width immediately below said top and accessible when said units are separated, a pair of apron slides each slidably carried adjacent the under side of said tray floor in the region of said vertical plane of division transversely of said rails one adjacent one side of the table and the other adjacent the other side of the table, and a pair of apron portions one carried by one slide adjacent said one side of the table and the other carried by the other slide adjacent said other side of the table and each of a length equal to the predetermined width of said table leaf; each apron portion normally lying inwardly of and parallel to the apron along the adjacent side edge of the table and each apron portion being movable on its supporting slide into alignment with the apron in the region of said vertical plane of division when said units are separated to fill in space between said units and complete an unbroken apron facade during the periods when the units are separated to receive said leaf.

ABRIS DE GAAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 500,440 Stebins June 27, 1893 681,366 Fuller Aug. 27, 1901 716,238 Johnson Dec. 16, 1902 745,115 Peterson Nov. 24, 1903 1,012,519 Carnovsky Dec. 19, 1911 1,017,062 Pfeiferkorn et a1. Feb. 13, 1912 1,862,113 Dreckenschmidt June 7', 1932 1,929,820 Kenchtel Oct. 10, 1933 2,533,119 Kelly Dec. 5, 1950 

